John MacNeal
Captain John MacNeal (born 1910) is a fictional character in the Tannhäuser universe, a member of the Union army and the leader of the 42nd Marine Special Forces unit. Biography Originally from Portland, Maine, John MacNeal started his military career at the Union army academy on Coney Island, where he finished third in his class. Early in his career, John MacNeal had a penchant for boxing. Then a 2nd lieutenant, he became crowned the Heavyweight Champion of his regiment. He set a regimental boxing record in 1929 with 35 wins, including 27 consecutive wins. MacNeal gained a reputation of a man of great charisma, fearlessness, and leadership, but also a notoriously recalcitrant subordinate with a history of insubordination. MacNeal distinguished himself first in Operation: Rolling Thunder in 1930, then in Operation: White Blizzard in the winter of 1946 (also reported as 1949). In the latter, he and his unit went behind enemy lines and destroyed five bunkers on the Atlantes Wall. This allowed the 101st and 123rd Sherman Battalions to breach the enemy lines and do devastating damage before Fieldmarschall Erwin Rommel retaliated with his Phantom-Panzers. In 1948, MacNeal was named Officer of the Year and receive the Medal of Honor after an operation on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, where he personally destroyed three 292mm Panzer flak cannons. The next year, during an operation in Mojokerto, Eva Krämer left him for dead. MacNeal eventually gained command of the 42nd Marine Special Forces unit, a group of about 30 soldiers known equally for their effectiveness in the field and their disorderly behavior off the field. Although these soldiers have a history as ne'er-do-wells, they all respect and admire MacNeal; it remains an open secret that only John MacNeal could command the 42nd. For example, on October 1, 1948, the 42nd—including Barry Daniel Brown, Tala Aponi, and Hoax—had a bar-fight with the 3rd Army Rangers; as soon as MacNeal arrived, he joined in the fight. MacNeal reports directly to General George S. Patton, who calls on MacNeal first whenever an impossible mission arises that requires the best. MacNeal and his unit have succeeded in every mission assigned to them. They actively seek out the most difficult tasks, especially the ones that take them far behind enemy lines. On October 8, 1949, General Patton deployed Captain MacNeal to Castle Książ in Poland. In its basement lay an Obscura Cardinal Cornerstone, through which the Reich's Marquis General Hermann von Heïzinger could unleash a portal to the U-Worlds. From a B-29E bomber, MacNeal took the 42nd to Książ to stop von Heïzinger from opening the gate, starting the events of Operation: Tannhäuser. Prior to Operation: Tannhäuser, MacNeal stole several crates of Illirium-powered weapons from Area 51, unbeknownst to Area 51 administrator General Gregor and even MacNeal's own men. Despite facing severe disciplinary action for this theft, he succeeded in the operation. President Edison personally rewarded MacNeal with a promotion to major in November 1949. He remained involved with Illirium-powered artifacts, this time with Area 51's knowledge and consent. In 1951, the Applied Science Division would give him the experimental Illirium-powered battery BA-29c. Equipment * Special Object: Nighteyes * Combat Pack: Flash Gun Mk1; Combat Infantry Badge; Medal of Honor * Stamina Pack: Flash Gun Mk1; Expert Infantry Badge; Medal of Honor * Command Pack: Colt .45 1911 A1; Captain; Silver Star Category:42nd Marine Special Forces Category:Airborne Destruction Squad Category:Union characters Category:Heroes Category:Union Category:Core